a dance to remember
by LOST IN MIND
Summary: dance


Caroline and Janet were busy in their own bathrooms getting ready for their big interview. Showering, getting dressed, and putting on make up. Both were excited and it was obvious.  
"You ready, Caroline?" Janet asked. "We have to be there at seven."  
"Almost," Caroline replied. "When do we need to leave?"  
"Now."  
It was 6:40 already. It took them fifteen minutes to get to the club from Janet's apartment. Caroline finished up and threw her dancing gear into a small duffle bag.  
"Aren't you looking cute tonight?" Janet said to Caroline.  
"So are you," Caroline replied with a smile. "We're going to be two hot babes on the dance floor tonight."  
Janet laughed and replied, "No boy there is going to be able to handle us!"  
Caroline laughed back and said, "I'm ready to go."  
"Me, too," Janet said.  
They left the apartment, walked to Janet's blue Mazda RX-8, and drove to the club.

David dried himself off as he got out of the shower. He put on his clothes, did his hair, and brushed his teeth. His cologne of choice was Chrome by Azzaro. By the time he was done getting ready, it was 9:50 pm. Time to head over to Meghan's. He walked out of his house and up to his car. He unlocked the door, got in, and pulled out of his driveway.  
By the time he was at Meghan's, Chelsea was already there.  
"What's up, David?" Meghan asked as he walked in.  
"Not much," David replied. "Just ready for some clubbing." He then looked at Chelsea and asked, "How are you, Chelsea?"  
"Doing good," she replied.  
"That's good," David said.  
They passed a little more small talk as all three of them walked out to Meghan's car to leave.

By 10:20, Meghan, Chelsea, and David had entered the club. There weren't too many people there yet. David's experience with Philly clubs told him that would change very soon. Especially when the club stopped serving alcohol and allowed the eighteen to twenty year-olds in.  
The three of them walked out on the dance floor and started dancing with each other. This was Meghan's first time clubbing. So she was just getting a feel for the music and the environment. It didn't take long for Chelsea to go off on her own and start dancing with other guys and girls. So Meghan and David just stayed with each other.  
David started realizing that the inside of the club had changed quite a bit since it became The Arizona Beach Club. He noticed that there were four elevated platforms on the corners of the dance floor. They stood about four feet in the air. There was a go-go dancer on each one. Until now, he hadn't really noticed who the dancers were. He was checking them out. The first three were right in front of him. He turned around to see the fourth, and that was when he saw her. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen before in his life. Blonde hair about shoulder-length. She was wearing a light blue bikini top with a white mini skirt and glitter on her cheeks. She was dancing bare foot. The way she moved on the platform captured his attention. He was mesmerized by her.  
As he kept dancing with Meghan and grinding on her, he would sneak glances up at the platform to see the go-go dancer up there. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was to him. She had tan skin that appeared to be smooth. Her face was so beautiful to him, and the way her hair seemed to fall on it as she danced.  
A short while passed and the go-go dancer got down from the platform to take a break. She didn't go far though. David watched her go to a nearby table and sit down with people who looked like other go-go dancers and club bouncers. He decided to take a chance and say hi to her. Although, he was sure he would just look like another guy looking to take advantage of her. He knew he had to say something that would get her to notice him, but would also appear as if he had no other motives.  
He walked up to her. She saw him when he was just about three feet away. He leaned into her and said, "Hey, I saw you dancing and I just wanted to say that you look absolutely beautiful tonight."  
Her mouth opened just a bit, and she said, "Aw. Thank you."  
"You're welcome," David replied. Then he waved and walked away.  
As he walked back to Meghan and Chelsea, he reviewed what had just happened in his mind. Content that it went just the way he had hoped for, he thought, Perfect!  
Soon after, David was dancing with Meghan and Chelsea and he saw The go-go dancer on the floor with another girl who was a little taller. They were dancing with each other and some of the other people there.  
David wanted to go dance were her more than anything. But he knew that wasn't a good idea. He knew there had to be other guys at the club she would rather spend her time dancing with.  
He kept looking at her though. She was still wearing the same bikini top and mini skirt. But now she had on a transparent pair of open-toed high heels.  
David was not a very sexually-minded person. He was one of the exceptions to the rule when it came to guys and sex. Even though his mentality had not changed with this dancer–partly because he was forcing those thoughts out of his head–he still could not get over her beauty. He just had to dance with her.  
Do it, David, he thought to himself. This will most likely be the only chance you ever get to dance with a girl as beautiful as her. Better that you try and be shot down than not try at all and wonder for the next however long what might have happened.  
David observed a guy dancing with her who kept trying to put his hands on certain parts of her body. By the looks of her shaking her head and putting her arms up in frustration, David got the impression she did not like that. Finally, she walked away and went to a part of the dance floor that was closer to David. He smiled and knew that he had a chance to dance with her now.  
He walked over to her, leaned into her ear, and asked, "Wanna dance?"  
Even though she was frustrated with the last guy who was all over her, she noticed that David bothered to be a gentlemen and asked as opposed to just walking up to her and start grinding; expecting her to be ok with it.  
She smiled and said, "Yes."  
David contained his excitement. They walked back into the center of the dance floor and started grinding softly on each other. David didn't want to move too fast or hard on her. He was trying to send the message that he was not a threat to her. He assumed she must have picked up on it because she took the initiative to move in closer so that their whole bodies were up against each other. David knew for sure she had not done this with the other guys. Nor had she danced as long with the others.  
While grinding, David watched his hand positioning. He kept both hands right on her hip bones. As she moved in closer, though, he put his left hand on the small of her back, just above the waist line of her mini skirt. His right hand was on her upper back, right in between her shoulder blades. Caroline had both hands around David, and he was in seventh heaven.  
After a few songs, she asked in his right ear, "What's yo name?"  
"David. What's yours?"  
"Caroline."  
"That's a pretty name," he said.  
"Thanks," she replied. "So, you saw me dancin' earlier?"  
"Yeah I did. I was trying not to stare, but I couldn't help not noticing you."  
"Aw," she said.  
That was when he realized that her breath smelled of alcohol. David was not a drinker. He had never tried it and had absolutely no interest in. But he ignored it. It was just a dance.  
Or was it? He kept thinking of what Caroline was like outside of the dance club. He felt lucky already and wondered how far he could push that luck. Could he really ask her for a date sometime? Or would she take him as a typical guy and blow him off?  
"So tell me a lil' about yourself real quick," Caroline said to him.  
Oh man, David thought. She's asking about me! I might actually have a chance.  
"Well," he started to say, "I go to ASU for communications. I work for a moving company. I like hanging out with my friends and I am big into sports."  
"How old are you?" she asked.  
"Twenty-three. You?"  
"Twenty-one."  
"That's cool," he said. "Tell me a little about yourself."  
Caroline was hesitant to give personal information about herself to someone she didn't know. He was respectful, but still a stranger.  
"Is it ok if we just dance?" she asked.  
David wasn't sure why she didn't want to tell him. He figured it was just because she wasn't familiar with him and it was her way of being on guard for freaks.  
He was right.  
"Yeah," David said, "totally."  
They continued to dance. David loved every minute of it. He loved the way the body of the most beautiful girl in the club felt up against his. He could feel his blood flowing relentlessly with chemistry. He felt like there was some connection between Caroline and himself. He wondered if that was really a connection he was feeling, or just a strong infatuation. He decided not to waste these amazing moments thinking about these things. He just wanted to enjoy the time he had with her.  
A short while later, she said, "I have to get back to the dressing room."  
"Ok, "David said. "Could I get your number and take you out sometime?"  
She seemed hesitant. Then she said, "I'm interviewing for a job here t'night. I don't want to ruin anything by bein' unprofessional."  
"I understand," David said. "Well thank you for the dance. It was amazing!"  
"Aw!" Caroline said with a huge smile. She looked at him for a second. She knew he had respected her during the dance. He had been very polite. Maybe he did deserve a shot. She then said, "Meet me outside the back of the club at four a.m. That's when I get off. I will give it to you then."  
"Ok," David said a little uncertain. "I will be there."  
"Cool. Look for me by a blue Mazda RX-8. That's my ride home."  
Caroline put her right hand on the left side of his face. She smiled and said, "See you then."  
"Bye," David said. He then watched her walk away.  
He went to find Meghan and Chelsea.  
"Find yourself a new girlfriend?" Meghan asked David.  
David looked back in the direction from which he came. When he looked back, he said, "I don't know."  
Chelsea laughed and asked, "What was her name?"  
David smiled back. "Caroline."  
"Does she work here?" Meghan asked.  
"Yeah she does."  
"I must admit," Meghan continued, "Not exactly the type I have seen you go for."  
"Yeah I know," David said. "But she is so gorgeous to me."  
"Did you ask her for her number," Chelsea asked.  
"Yeah I did, but she said she couldn't give it out while working."  
Chelsea laughed. "Yeah, she's not interested in you."  
David realized she was probably right. But his instinct told him something else. He was going to tell them that she had said to meet her after the club. But he knew that sounded as foolish as it really was. Going at that hour would only make him look desperate. And since he didn't trust himself to stick to that notion, he was too embarrassed to tell them.  
They went back to dancing and David tried to forget about her. He was having difficulty. Normally, girls wouldn't have this kind of power over him. Not because he saw dating as a power struggle. Just because he wouldn't be into it with a girl this much so suddenly. Getting to know a girl was usually more gradual for him and he would always have other things to keep him preoccupied. The only thing preoccupying him now was a beautiful go-go dancer–who was definitely not his type–named Caroline.  
David couldn't stop thinking about whether or not he should come back to the club at 4:00 AM. He knew that going back would be a dead give away that he was desperate. Which for all intents and purposes was not true at all. But Caroline would not see it that way. He might have been head over heels for the most beautiful girl he had ever danced with at a club. But he definitely was not desperate in general.  
She could totally be doing that to get a kick out me, David thought. Something for her to laugh about with her girlfriend on their way home tonight. But at the same time, she did seem real enough to me. This might be worth it. Especially since I'll never see her again anyway. And anyone would consider me a fool if a girl as gorgeous as her told me to meet her some where and I didn't at least show up! Think about it, David. What got you to dance with her? Knowing that you might regret never knowing what could have happened. The same principle applies here. GO MEET HER AT FOUR!  
David knew that philosophy was the whole reason she even offered to meet her. The philosophy drove him to ask her to dance, which in turn, resulted in her offering. The philosophy had paid dividends so far. Don't mess with success!  
The songs played through one by one as David danced with Meghan and Chelsea. When 3:00 AM had rolled around, all three were pretty tired. They decided it was time to go home. They left the club, walked out to Meghan's car, and drove home.  
Once back at Meghan's, Chelsea said bye and left. Meghan looked at David who appeared to be in a trance.  
"David," she began to ask, "you ok?"  
David looked at her and then back out the window.  
"Yeah," he said. "I am fine. It just felt really good to get back to a club again. I had missed it."  
He was lying. The club wasn't good. The beautiful go-go dancer was good. He was nervous about going back.  
"How long has it been since you were last at a club?" Meghan asked.  
"Eighteen," David replied. He was lying again. He had been to The Beach Club when he was twenty-one. It was known as Club Rio then. But he needed to draw any thought away from the go-go dancer. So he continued, "I remember how fun the Philly clubs were when I was living there. Being at the club tonight just really reminds me of good times."  
"Yeah," Meghan said, "I can understand that. She sensed something was amiss. She knew he was either lying, or just not telling the whole truth. "Well, I need to get to bed. I am exhausted."  
"Ok," David said. "I should be getting home, too. It's pretty late."  
"Thank you for coming with us, David. It was a lot of fun!"  
They were both walking toward the front door by now.  
"Yeah it was. I had a blast. We'll have to do it again sometime."  
Meghan opened the door to let David out.  
"Absolutely!" Meghan said. "Call me tomorrow. I think there are a couple parties going on. We should get the group together and go."  
"Yeah," David replied. "We'll figure everything out tomorrow. Good night, Meghan."  
David was outside on the front porch now.  
"Good night, David!" Meghan said with enthusiasm.  
Meghan closed her door and David was walking towards his car. He had every intention of going back to the club. He couldn't stop thinking about Caroline and had to know what would happen if he show up. He got in his car and drove off.

When David arrived at the club, the parking lot was empty and he could see the workers leaving. When he saw a blue Mazda RX-8, he knew he had not missed Caroline. The license plate read, 2LTL2L8.  
He parked his car, turned off the engine, and waited patiently for her to come out. He sat there thinking about what was going to happen next. His heart was pounding.  
At 5:00 AM, an hour had passed and David started to wonder. He got out of his car and walked around to the front of it. He leaned up against the front hood of his G-35 Infiniti.  
More time passed. He was just about to head home when he saw two girls walk out. They were laughing and talking. This was it. Time to see what would happen. David walked up to them. They saw him just before all three of them met at the car. Janet had no idea what was going on. Caroline did.  
"Hi," David started, "I'm David. The one in the club who you danced with and you told me to meet you here after work."  
Janet looked at Caroline confused. Caroline was dumbfounded. She had no idea he would actually show up. Her facial expression revealed her surprise to David. He began to think that showing up really had been a bad idea. But what David didn't know was that Caroline was somewhat happy he had.  
"Yeah," Caroline said, "I remember. I didn't think you'd actually come."  
David glanced at the ground a little embarrassed. Caroline recognized it and said, "It's coo that you did."  
David looked back up with hope in his eye, trying not to seem too excited. He was trying to keep his cool.  
"I'll give you my number under one condition," Caroline said.  
David nodded, a little surprised at her demeanor, and said, "Fair enough. I'm cool with whatever."  
"Don't rush anything. I'm giving you my number 'cause you showed me some respect. But don't start tripping 'bout a relationship on the first phone call."  
David grinned and said, "You don't have to worry. I'm not like most guys out there."  
"I hope not," she replied.  
"I promise," David said, "I'm not."  
"Ok," Caroline said.  
David opened up his cell phone and punched in Caroline's number as she gave it to him. After he saved it, he wasn't sure quite what to do next. He knew he couldn't stand there silently. So he asked, "How did the interview go?"  
"A'ight," Caroline said. "We find out next week if we gots da job."  
"Oh ok," David said. "Good luck with it. Let me know how it goes."  
"Thanks," Caroline said.  
"Well," David continued, "it's late. I am gonna get going. I will give you a call soon, Caroline."  
"A'ight," Caroline replied. "Talk to you later."  
"Good night," David replied back. He then looked at Janet and waved goodbye to her.  
"Bye," Janet said.  
David walked back to his car smiling hard. He was trying hard to contain his excitement. But he knew he had to until he was out of sight. By the time he got back in his car, he could see Caroline and Janet pulling away. He decided to wait a few so that he wouldn't feel like he was following them if they so happened to be taking the same route home.  
After he could see they were gone, David drove off and headed home. He lived in Mesa, right off Loop 202. He was too excited to play any music. He was so happy he had gone against his better thinking and showed up at her work after hours. He also knew he had a chance because she had openly acknowledged to him that she appreciated his candor around her. Right now, he would just be a friend and get to know Caroline for who she was. He wanted to prove he could be anything she wanted him to be.

Meanwhile, in Janet's car, Caroline thought about what had just happened in the parking lot. She stared out the window while she cursed herself in her mind.  
Caroline! What the hell are you thinking? You have enough drama in your life right now! You don't know who this David guy is or anything about him.  
"I can't believe you gave that guy your number," Janet said. "Why? What made you give it to him? And it isn't even as if you gave him a fake one."  
"I know," Caroline said.  
"You gave him yours?" Janet continued.  
"I know!" Caroline conceded.  
"Why?"  
Moments ago, Caroline was asking herself the same question. But now that someone else was asking it, her defense mechanism was kicking in and the answer was coming. All of a sudden, she knew what she was doing.  
"'Cause," Caroline started. "I just…"  
A short pause.  
"… I just gots a good feeling about him that I can't explain."  
"And how did you get that?" Janet asked skeptically.  
"We danced in the club," Caroline said.  
"So that makes him a good person and not a serial rapist?" Janet asked.  
"No! It doesn't. I mean it does. I mean-"  
Caroline sighed for a second and Janet stared out the windshield, waiting for an answer.  
"It just means," Caroline continued, "That outta all da guys in da club who treated me like a sex object, he actually had respect."  
"That could be part of his rape plan," Janet challenged.  
Caroline chose to ignore the challenging statement and continued, "He asked me questions about me. He complimented me in a respectful way. Most guys would just be like, 'Damn girl shake dat ass!' But not David. He told me I was a good dancer. He complimented my name and not my tits."  
"Well I guess that makes him a champion," Janet said.  
"Don't worry. If this guy ends up being a complete psycho, Alex will jack him up real good."  
"You're trying to break up with Alex," Janet reminded her.  
Caroline did not respond to this. She had reminded herself of this before Janet did. However, that was not what got Caroline thinking. She was comparing David to Alex in her mind. And that was not even what got her so silently thinking. She was liking the results of her comparison.  
On a good day, this might have scared Caroline a little. But her life had been in such disarray that it was almost refreshing. Her life had been so miserable in some ways that to have something good happen was a welcoming change for her. She found herself hoping David would call soon.


End file.
